Adjustable carriage control stop for accounting machines



Sept. 26, 1961 w. H. HARBOR 3,001,696

ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE CONTROL STOP FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed May 19,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l HIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 w. H. HARBORADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE CONTROL STOP FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed May 19,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INvENToR WILLIAM HENRY HARBOR HIS ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Paten-t 3,001,696 ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE CONTROL ACCOUNTING MACHINESWilliam Henry Harbor, Edgware, England, assignor to The National CashRegister Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland i Filed May19, 1958,. Ser. No. 73,6,184

S101 FOR.

claims priority, application Great Britain :time 1s, i957 Y Claims. (Cl.23S-60.5)

rments, either enforce the control members for all totalizers to besimultaneously changed, or provide individually adis -to be changedwithin the control device assembly. Thus thev previous proposals eitherlack selectivity of totalzer control or arecurnbersome and-slow in theiradjustment. It is accordingly ageneralobject of the present .inventionto provide a carriage function control devicewhich enablesany one of anumber of totalizers to be manually selected for aparticular functioninthe columnarposition inwhich the-f unction control device Yislocated,.while at the same timetproviding a simple and rapidlyadjustable common control member. y I f Another object of the inventionis- `the provision of-a function control device adapted to bedetaclrably secured at any desired columnar position on atravelingcarriage of an accounting machine, lsaigd device including arpluralityof function control elements and a manuallyadjustable selecting device,adapted, `according to its position of ad` justment, Ltoselectivelyrender any predetermined one ,of thefunction control.elements effective `to controlthe machine for acorresponding function.

I. With these and incidental objectsin view, the invention includes`certain novel features of construction .and coinbinations of parts, apreferred formor embodiment of Whichfis hereinafterdescribed withreference to the drawingswhich accompany and forma part of thisspeciicavIn the. drawings: g

l. FIG. 1v is a right-hand perspective view of apreferred form offunction controldevice.

Y jFIG; 2 aleft-side'view of the device. FIG, 3 is a rear view of thecontrol device.

Y F164. is a planview of vthe control device.

g FIG, Sfis an-invertedperspective view ofthe selecting member, forminga part 4of;tl1e device. i

FIG. israleft-hand fragmentary perspective view of a modified form offunction control device. f

Vsii'dabie r7 is a right-:hand perspective view of. the modified form'offunction control device.

`FIG. 8 isa top plan view of the segmental selecting plate for themodied'form of function control device. i

. I f VIN GENERALI "e A device Aof the character outlined Vabove is mostuseful in a machine of vthe type disclosed in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 2,626,749, issued January 27, 1953, to Raymond A.`Christian et al., which is equipped'with car- Patented Sept. 26,

riage function control devices and with totalizer selecting and controlkeys. In a machine of this type, it is possible to have .any one of raplurality of totalizers automatically selected for totalizing, undercontrol of the carriage ,funcf tion control devices, the machine beingautomatically pre,-` leased for operation as'the carriage tabulates intothe columnar position in which an automatic total-taking control deviceis located; However, insuch 'a case the totals taken vfrom the varioustotalizers` must be printed in different columnar positions, since it isnot possible to automatically clear more than one totalizer in anyv onecolumnar position.

In machines of the type disclosed in the above-.men-` tioned patent, itis possible for the totals from all 'the totalizers to be printed in oneand the same column by successively depressing their selecting keys inconjunction with a total-taking control key, `but sucha procedure isvery cumbersome and slow. With the arrangement of the present invention,however, the totalizers may be selected rapidly for total-taking all inone and the same column of the record material, by a simple manualadjustment of justable members for each totalizer, the function of whichp a single control member.

The proposed adjustable control device is even more valuable for use in'a machine of the type disclosed in United States patent yapplicationSerial No. 466,292, filed November 2, 1954, now Patent No. 2,930,523, byRaymond A. Christian et al., which, like the machine referred to above,is equipped with -a plurality of totalizers, butzisl provided withmanually-operable control keys forgonly one of said totalizers, so thatthe functionsV of the remaining totalizers must necessarily becontrolled automatically bythe traveling carriage functioncontrol'devices `:in preselected columnar positions of said travelingcarriage. .,In Ea machine of ,this type, it is normally impossible torecord the totals from lall of the totalizers in one columnar' posivtion ofthe traveling carriage and record material, but the ,presentinvention enables this to be done easily and' conveniently. i

'v Although, inthe following description, reference is made only tototalftaking control, it is obvious that the device may be adapted for`any other kindof function control and that, moreover, the functionperformed need not necessarily be the same for all thetotaliz'ersselected, but the control devices may be adapted to perform the samefunction by groups, or to perform different functionsgindividually. i .1By way of example only, the invention will be described as applying to amachine of the typedisclos'ed in United States Patent No. 2,626,749,referred to before, but said invention is equally applicable tov anymachine in which the amount of sensing movement of a sensing orselecting mechanismdetermines the nature of the machine function Ito beperformed. r

Two embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein, the first orpreferred form of which relates to an arrangement wherein the functioncontrol device exerts its control over a series of sensing fingers,through the medium ofy a positionable slide mounted on the top `surfaceof said.de vice, and the modified form of which relates to an arrangerment Iwherein the function control device exerts its control over thesensing lingers through the medium of'a rockable plate mounted on thetop surfaceV of said device.

DESCRIPTION Preferred form i The preferred form of carriage functioncontrol device comprises a right side plate 1 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 4) and aleft side plate 2, which are secured to a spacing.v blo'ck 3, by-meansof rivets or screws (FIGS. l and 2). 'The rear ends of the ysideplates 1 and Z haveU-shaped cutout portions 5, by means of which theycan be detachably Vmounted on the usual H-shaped stop or program bar 100(FIGSIl 2` and 3), which is removably mounted on the front of anescapement bar 102 of the traveling carriage. ILw-L-beseeu. by referringto FIG. -l. that thegupper and. lower. arms..oi, the. U.shapedopeningr5, .in eachff the. sideplateslgand 2, extendbelow andabovecorresponding ,cut-.outfsurfaces in thespacingblock 3, so.aste-form teeth which.; are engageable with corresponding teeth: in theupper. and. lower. surfaces, of'. thel program. bar. 10.0. (-EIGI. 3),,1The.. block 3iy vhas av boring 61" arrangedA to receive alballfT and 'acorresponding tension springfv, said Boring, being restricted atitslower. end Yso that. therballvT will 'extendonly part-way into theopening formed, in said K blocl for the program bar 100.1 The upperendofthe boring is tliread'ed'to receive a screw stud 5101, by means ofwhich the springV 8 maybe tensioned', andsaid spring andthe. ballTretained in said boring. When the function. control device is slidontothe bar 100. (FIGS. 2 and 3) ihthe desiredrcolumnar position, thespring-pressed ball' 7' automatically ridesover said bar and engages thechannel formed in th'e upper edgethereof, so as to hold the devicevsecurelyin'. place on said bar 100'.

Thelower rearwardly/#extending arms of the side plates Fand 2 `formsupports to receive a motor-bar-unlockingA lu'g'9^"(FlGS'.' 1"and 2) anda tabulation controlv lug 1'0 secured by means of screws and nuts 11'.As will be seen fronrFIGS. l and' 2, the lower arms ofthe side platesvproject'aboveA the lugs 9' and 10, so as to be engageable.

njthef'beforementioned teeth YofV the bar 100. The left'-handsidewfaceof'the spacing'block 3 is formed asa comb tmaecommodateeight slidablerstop. plates 12 (FIGS. 1'

andE 2f), which-'areeurged downwardly by sprin'gs'13r(FIGS.` Z'and') toa position determined by the engagement of i l1`x'gsf14=(|li`IG.Y 2), onsaid plates, with the lower edge of an opening inthe left side plate 2'.Y

. 4 i 15 will be blocked by one vof the pins 21 against upward movement,as will be explained later.

As will best be seen from FIG. 3, the slidable selecting y v member 22closely embraces the top and the sides of the Similarly,theright-hand'sidefaceA of the spaeing'block Slis channeled toaccommodate two further Yslidable stop 'lilltiezsensin'glingersr 104.are positionable in different stagesP of their sensing movement tocontrol variousffunctionseof thermachine, as. fully` explainedj inUnited? States Patent 2,626,749. Eightfof the sensing'ngers 104 lie.tothe left1 ofithet common'v tabulated position, and twoofithe sensing-ythefpllateslzv and 15 are correspondingly located, asis clear-*fromobserving FIG. l. r

Intermediate the two sets of comb-liker channels` for-medi inf-tirei'spacing'4r block 3f, to accommodate the slit'iable stop plates*lZ'fandi 15 (FIGS: l1 andZ), said'spacingblock-is formetfwithanupstanding approximately'T-shaped section* YIIFCPIG'L 4), which, whenthe block-3 is assembled to the sideiplate'sA rand 2', forms two'channels 19, each of whiclrextends'across andabove the tops of therelated sets of slidable stop'upl'ates 12 and 15. The -front ends of'thechannel`s-1'9jrare closed'by an inserted block 20' (FIGSL l, 2', and4'),recessed to accommodate the front ends of the side plates y1 and 2, andsecured there by means of one of the screws 4. The channels .19 are eacharranged t0 receiveone of two pins or studs 21 (FIGS. 4 and 5),.dependingfrom atop plate of a U-shaped slidable selecting member 22(FIGS. lto 5) adapted to slide'transverselyy in both dilectionsfover theheads. of. the slidablestop. plates 12. andl15,".,s.o that in anyvparticular.. adjusteduposition. of thefslidblerselecting, member22,-,one cisaid platesfl-Zror.-

function control device and isrmaintained in this positionand-@guide-diin itsl transverse movements by;l means fof .a

- pair of anchorfplates 23f (FIGS. 1 tof4),-. each having a: pairoffstuds 24, projectingfthrough correspondmgholesf inthesidesxof'thefslidable `selecting member; 22,1 and-:finto a pair ofhorizontal slots (FIGS lj andA 2) formedfin the upper partof the. sideplates 1 andi-2. 'Each anchor plate 23' is secured4 tov a; side; of theslidableselecting -mernber 22 by a correspondingY screw 26; Projectingupwardly `from .thetop face` of the selectingfmember 22.(FIGS.v 1

torS) is.` a. large adjustinglstud 27', having' a vkn'urledhead to forma convenient i'ngerpiece for manipulating'said selecting member. Theadjusting stud 27 has-a central bore to receive a spring 28 (.FIG. 3)and a ball 29,@wh'i`ch ball isv iforced downwardly by said! Spring intocooperative. engagementv with. one of a seriesof dimplesorindentatic'msl 30.` (FIG: 4) formed at proper intervals in the topsurface" ofthe centralsection 18 ofthe spacing block 3".

The adjustment'of the slidable selecting member'ZZ'," so, that one orthe other ofthe pins 21. (FIGS. 4 andS) o bstructs. upward movement of.its corresponding Vslidable stop plates l12 and 15', determines thecontrol to be'exer cised'lover thefunctions'of'tlie'totalizers, as willbe 'referredL to Iater'herein; The lengths'ofthechannels 19and`thedisposition of the'pins 21 are such that one pin'21limits" traverseofthe selecting member 22 in one directionv and:v the-other pin 21limits the traverse of said selectin'gmer'nj berZZ-"intlieotherdirection, and so that only `one of" the plates 12er-15 will bel blockedagainst upward movel meriti atv any particular positionv of YadjustmentofI said selectingA member 22. In order to facilitate the adjustment ofthe slidablev selecting member 22,'the top facey ofi the section 18(FIG. 4) of the spacing block S'is enagravedwith the numbers ofthetotalizers to be selected",` while'f'the top-edges of the side platesY 1and 2'U areven'- graved with alining marks with which a beveled forward:

yedge of the top'portion'of the slidable selecting member 22 is'adapted'tobeealined' for' the selection ofthecorrespondingsel'ectedtotalizer. y

OPERATION OPPREEERRED FORMv j The carriage controlldevice l' of thepreferred form' isf slidontol theprogram bar 100v (FIGS. 2 and; 3) ofthe traveling carriage 102rv in theselected columnar-position thereof,where it is automatically securedfin position by vingers lie to therightofsaid tabulated position, and hence u i' V means off' thespring-pressed ball 7 in cooperation witlr the dpressionin the topVsu'rfaceof said -bar100. When traveling carriage 102.` tabulatesJ-intothecolumnar position in whichthefunction control device iszlocatedjsaidf carriage-then Ycomes to rest with 'thecontr'oll plates v12 and 15properly positioned directly above the corresponding sensing fingers104. 'Ihe operator-then grasps nre adjustingrstud z7f(iFIGsr. 1-, 2,and-3.) andy-moves the slidable selecting member `221in one' or'theother direction until the front beveled edge thereof" is alined withvthe appropriate totalizer number engraved inthe section 18V (FIG. 4) ofthe spacing block 3, where said member is retainedbyzengagementofthe-spring-pressed ball 29'with one of theL-di-mples @0bThe machine is then released for operationby depression of one of theusual motor bars, andduring machine operationzthe'4 sensingngers 104.rwill be simultaneously elevated to sense the feet 17 -off'theplatesflZand 15; At

this time, .only the sensing: finger' 104, whose associated plate 12.or: 15 is'blocked against upward-movement by one of the studs 21, willbe arrested in total-taking posi-V tion, and allof the remaining sensinglingers will rise fully.y to, nonladding p ositioua simultaneouslydisplacing their unobstructed plates1-2and 15.

vDuringthis-operation. of the=maehine,. a total?willilie` takenzfront-beA totalizerg selected.; by...4 priorfadjustmentpnf;

' segmental selecting plate 38 injluence` of the springs 13. w .nMODIFIED'FORM FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 disclose a modified forrnof ,function`control device, in which the slideableselecting member 22 of thepreferred form is replacedwith a rockable seg-r mental selecting plate38. f f

Instead of the spring-urged ball 7 ('FIG. 1)A of thepreferredforrn, themodilied form is provided with a spring-i urged half-round .stud 35,which is Afreely'mounted in a verticalboring in the rear, upperportion'of'the spacing block 3, and has connected thereto aproperly-formed operating handle 36 projectingthrough and guided by avertical slot 37 (FIG. 6) in the plate 2. ','I'he stud 35 projectsdownwardly through the lower surface of the block 3 and extends, intothe upper part of the Urshaped cut-out 5, so as to form amanually-adjustable means for clamping the function control member tothe vprogram bar 100. y j

:The segmental selecting plate 38His rotatably mounted ontheuppersurface of the block 3 (FIGS. 6, 7, and) nearits y,rearward end,--bymeans of Vascrew studf39 threaded into4 said block. The selectingplate 3,8fhas se-v cured thereinV a seriesofY selecting pins or studsv40, vwhich depend from said` plate so as to coact with the upper endsof the stop plates V12,`and said segment 38 likewise has secured thereintwo selecting studs 41 arranged to coact with theupper ends of the twostop plates 15. Similar cut-away portions 42 in the upper ends of theside plates 1 and 2 provide clearance for the pins '40 and 41, as theselecting plate 38 is rotated to position said pins in relation to theircorresponding stop plates 12 and 15. Cut in the lower face of the plates38 near its forward edge is a series of dimples 43 corresponding to thepins 40 and 41, said dimples arranged to be engaged by a spring-pressedball 44 mounted in a boring in the top surface of the block 3, to retainsaid selecting plate 38 in any of its various selected positions andthus to maintain the proper pin 40 or 41 in the path of thecorresponding stop plates 12 or 15.

Bent upwardly from the selecting plate 38, and at right angles thereto,is a flngerpiece 45, by means of which said plate may be rotated on thescrew stud 39 to position the pins 40 and `41 in lrelation to the stopplates 12 and 15.

OPERATION OF MODIFIED FORM lIn order that the modified form of functioncontrol de'vice may be readily slid upon the program bar 100 in theproper columnar position, the handle 36 (FIG. 6) is manually movedupwardly, so that the depending stud 35 is clear of said bar 100. Whenthe function control device has been slid fully onto the bar 100, thehandle 36 is released, whereupon the spring-urged stud 35 descends intothe channel of said bar 100 to hold the device securely against forwardor backward-movements. The is next manually adjusted, by means of thefingerpiece 45, until the proper one of a series of lines (not shown)along the forward arcuate edge thereof, corresponding `to the yfirsttotalzer t-o be selected for total-taking, for example, coincides with aline (not shown) engraved on the forward face of the spacing blockY 3.The plate 38 lis yieldingly retained in selected position by means ofthe ball 44 in cooperation With the corresponding dimple 43 (FIG. 7).

6 The machine may ynow depression of oneofjthe usual starting: bars,disclosed in the beforementioned United States patents, and, vduringoperation of the machine, the sensing fingers 104 (FIG.`

7) sense the feetl of the stop plates 12 and 15. f At this time, onlythe sensing linger 104, Whose stop plate 12 or.

15 is blocked against upward movement by one of the studs 40 or 41, willbe arrested and retained in totaltaking position, while all of theremaining sensing lingers 104 will rise fully` to a non-adding position,simultaneously displacing their corresponding unobstructed plates 12 and15;

During this machine operation, a total will bet-aken from the totalzerselected by the prior adjustment of the selecting plate 38, and saidtotal'` will be printed,zwhile none of the remaining totalizers will bebrought into the.

engagedposition but will remain in non-adding position.

yWhen the operation hasy been completed, the selecting plate 38 may beadjusted to selectthe and in the-ensuing machine operation the selectedvtotalizer'will be totalized and the total recorded,` as in thepreceding operation. Thisprocedure may be repeated until yall thetotalizers have been totalized and the totals therein .printed upon therecord materi The stop plates 12 and 15 are arranged inthe modified'form so that they will slide freely downwardly under inlluence ofgravity when the sensing ngers 104 are-re turnedv during `eachmachine-operation. If desiredjfsaid stop plates may be provided withsprings, 'as in the"pre ferred form, to assist in returning themto theirdownward` position.- z v .Y

i In earlier machines of the same general type,as1dis` closed in the'United States patent referred `to he'reinbe-` fore, instead of theiigers 104`sensing for the stopplatesY 12 and 15, said fingers or theirequivalents were depressed by said stop plates as the traveling carriagemoved into predetermined columnar positions. If desired, the stop plates12 and 15 of both forms may be arranged for this type of operation -byforming angular camming surfaces on the soles of the feet 17. In thiscase, the stop plate, blocked by the pins 21 and 40 or 41, would depressthe corresponding finger 104, as the traveling carriage moves intocolumnar position, to select and condition the corresponding totalzerfor a total-taking operation in the usual and Well-known manner.

While the forms of mechanisms shown and described herein are admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form orembodiment Vdisclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious other forms, all coming within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A function control device constructed and arranged to be detachablymounted in any selected columnar po sition on the traveling carriage ofan accounting machine, said accounting machine having means, includingsensing ngers positionable to control the various functions thereof,said device comprising in combination a framework; a function controlplate for each sensing linger, said plates freely mounted in theframework, and dsplaceable by the sensing lingers during positioningmovement thereof; and manually operable means mounted on the frameworkand adjustable to coact with any selected control plate to limitmovement of said control plate and the corresponding sensing linger tocontrol the machine for a corresponding function.

2. In a'machine of the class described, having a traveling carriage,movable to various columnar positions, said machine capable ofperforming various functions and having means including a plurality ofsensing fingers positionahle to control the various functions, thecombination of a framework detachably mounted in any selected columnarvposition on the traveling carriage; a plurality of displaceable controlplates mounted in the framework be released for operation byA secondtotalzer,

and displaceablenbys the: sensingvngeist upon` positioning movementlofsaid fingers; anmanua'llya adjustable;- member;

' mounted-ontheffrarnewonlfit` andfiprojactionsA onsthefmema. Y bercoaetingwithany desired:` onel of: the: control@ plates; depending.upontthefadjustment ofrzsaid member, to 1 limitv the displacementoffsaid .control-plate by;4 the; correspond. ngisensing; fingertoxpositiomsaidf finger, accordingly: to` control it-hefmachine'N foraz: corresponding function- 3.3131 Lal-'machine of= thea class:described,A capablek'ofgvar-r iousfunctions,r andfhav'in-g means',including sensingl ele-` ments; positionable' to :control saidfunctions, saidtlmach'ine. f

also having a traveling carriage, movable to varioustco.-

Vluminarf positions", thefrfcombinationzof. ar. function: controldevice; arrangedtto: be; detachabl-yfmounted's in any!deisined-columnai' positiomorr the travelingK carriage, sad': device-.-comprising. incombination', -aaiframeworh controlplatesscorrespondingr-toi the: sensing: elements andfrnounted` finzitlle'franieworkfy soaasfto bel displaceableb byl said :sensingtrolls plates: displaceablezby:y the;` correspondingA sensing ngcrsduring positioning thereof; a manually .operable slide' mounted om Ithe=framework; Vand :projectionsV` ont the slide arranged@ to .cooperatewith;l any; selectedi controlli plate.upon..proper adjustment of saidslide to'control theKV extent or; displacement: of: said Vselectedy`control plate` and the corresponding sensingx nger. `too control themachine-4v foxrr er corresponding function. t

I 5"; Im amachine of the class: described; capablefoivara.

,p ions functions andihaving means including. two rowsfio.-

Y sensing iingers positionable to control 'said functions, saidelementsf during y positioning movementnof: said: elements; v

ai rockable': member' mounted` om f the; framework; and; a projectiononthearockablef membersfor eaclr control'."platen` andzetiective uponproper:v adjustment. ofi thenmernber to control* therextentiof;displacement of: the4 corresponding;

t control plate to position; the; corresponding` sensing ele?.

mentzaccordinglyrto control the machine fora correspondingr` function,

v4.',In awmachinefofthezclassf described',` capable, ofsvar-f Yiousifunctionai. and havingcmeans ,includngsensing fingers positionableto control said'functions, saidmachinealso?v havingtagtraveling;carriage, movable toi; various columnarf positions, the combination of aframework axrangedto" bexdetachably mountediimany-vselectedicolumnariposition onfzthe:travelingy carriagergaY controlplate for each; sensing:

-iingemdisplaceablyV mounted-t in the;=tramework,1 saidi con@y machinealso 'havingra travelingv carriage movable to various columnarpositions, the combination of a frameworkV arranged-to be` detaehablylmountediin any selected ,1 columnar position onine-travelingcarriageyt-wo'rowsotl in the patlr-ofA any selected control plateof'their` respec;

tive rows-to limit the movementof saidvselectedl control 4plate' and3the-corresponding sensing finger to controlith'ea machineforfacorresponding function.

References r.Cited the-le ofrthisf patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS21,254,765 'Anderson septvz, 1941, 21,612,315:V Anderson Sept. 73019,52` ,272.768;1. Bogert Dec; 2 0l955-`v Y 2,921,728 f-Clri'stianetal.` n ,Man 8, 19,60.Vv

